RIP Sammy Baugh

Sammy Baugh, 1914-2008

Samuel Adrian 'Sammy' Baugh, football pioneer, Washington Redskins quarterback, two time NFL champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer, died yesterday at a ripe old age after a long and illustrious football career and a longer retirement outside the public eye.

Sammy was born in 1914 in Texas and grew up in the dusty outback of Temple and Sweetwater, where he perfected his passing accuracy throwing a football through a swinging tire. Hoping to play three sports, Sammy attended Texas Christian University and played for legendary football coach Dutch Meyer, who built his Meyer Spread offense, patterned off Pop Warner's Double Wing, around Sammy's arm. Sammy would go on to win a national championship, lead the nation in passing twice, become a two time college All American, two time bowl victor and MVP of the inaugural Cotton Bowl while quarterbacking the TCU Horned Frogs.

In his final semester in 1937 Redskins owner George Preston Marshall, perhaps sensing Sammy's ability to change the game, offered Sammy four thousand dollars to become Washington's quarterback. Sammy demurred, intent on coaching and trying his hand at professional baseball. In August of 1937 Sammy was invited to play in the fourth College All-Star Game, a summertime exhibition between an NFL team and a collection of the nation's best college players. Sammy's College All-Stars beat Curly Lambeau's Green Bay Packers, 6-0. Curly would later enter the Pro Hall of Fame with Sammy.

Sammy did try his hand at pro baseball that summer of 1937, it was after all as a TCU baseball third baseman that Sammy earned his nickname 'Slingin' Sammy. But baseball was not for Sammy, he toiled that summer in the minor leagues before, dissatisfied with his prospects, returning to football.

Meanwhile, the Boston Redskins had relocated to Washington, owner George Preston Marshall seeking a larger audience, and the team drafted Sammy with the sixth overall pick in the 1937 NFL draft. As promised, Sammy began to change the NFL and the concept of the forward pass immediately upon arrival. His rookie year Sammy set a league record for passing completions, led the league in passing and the Redskins to an 8-3 record and a berth in the NFL title game, where Washington's new team beat the 9-1-1 Chicago Bears 28-21 for their first NFL championship.

Three years later in 1940 the Redskins and Bears would rematch for the championship, where Chicago would beat the team 73-0 in the most lopsided game in NFL history. Washington and Chicago would meet twice more for the title, in 1942, a 14-6 Washington victory and in 1943, a 41-21 loss. Sammy would take the Redskins to one more championship game, in 1945 where they lost to the Cleveland Rams.

Sammy was more than a quarterback though. He was also a record setting defensive back and punter. Throughout his 16 year playing career, all with Washington, Sammy played at the highest level at all three positions, even leading the league in passing yards, punting average and defensive interceptions in 1943.

When it was all said and done, Sammy had won six passing titles, earned nine All-Pro selections, went to one Pro Bowl, set thirteen NFL records, including most seasons leading the league in passing, most seasons with the lowest interception percentage, highest single season passing percentage, highest career punting average, highest single season punting average, first player to intercept four passes in one game and four time league leading punter. Sammy was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

After retiring as a player, Sammy tried his hand at coaching but that did not satisfy Sammy so he and his wife bought a ranch in Rotan in central Texas and took to a quiet life. By the time of his death his property had grown to twenty thousand acres and is still a working ranch.

Over the forty years since he retired, Sammy was named to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team and to the NFL's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. Sammy is a member of the Redskins Ring of Fame and his number 33 is the only number officially retired by the team.

The Redskins and the NFL reached out to Sammy many times, for appearances, celebrations and honors. Sammy always refused, preferring to live out his life quietly in Texas. He was a mean cuss, know for profanity and often spoke simultaneously of how coddled the NFL players of today were, and how he would very much like to play with today's athletes. Growing up as a Redskins fan, bumper segments on location with Sammy in game broadcasts were made every few years, mostly beginning and ending with Sammy sitting in his easy chair by the sliding glass door out to his property.

Sammy was the rarest of rare star performers, one who revolutionized his game, left everything on the field and even as one of the greatest ever refused to let football define him. He is the man singularly responsible for making Washington a football town.

Sammy Baugh was 94.


Washington Post | Washington Times
Mark Newgent at Redskins Examiner
Rich Tandler at Real Redskins on Sammy's four passing TD, four defensive INT game
Matt Terl at The Official Redskins Blog | one | two | three
NFL obituary
Sammy's Wikipedia page
Sports Illustrated's 1969 article on Sammy Baugh and his high school teammate and pro rival Bulldog Turner



Sammy Baugh, Redskins quarterback, dropping back to pass against the Chicago Bears in the 1942 NFL Championship, AP photo from here via here, date reference from here. Washington won this game, their second NFL Championship 14-6.